Gas lifting device for flowing multiple zone wells



March 24, 1953 E. o. BENNETT GAS LIFTING DEVICE FOR FLOWING MULTIPLE ZONE WELLS Original Filed July 4, 1945 YT C 47 72) Ie/vE 25.

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 GAS LIFTING DEVICE FOR FLOWING MULTIPLE ZONE WELLS Edwin 0. Bennett, Houston, Tex., assignor to Continental Oil Company, Ponca City, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Original application July 4, 1945, Serial No.

2 Claims.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 603,140 filed July 4, 1945, issued March 29, 1949, as Patent No. 2,465,344.

This invention relates as indicated to an improved method for producing multiple zone wells, i. e., wells which intercept a plurality of superposed vertically spaced producing zones at least one of which is not under sufficient pressure to raise the oil therefrom to'the ground surface.

producing zone.

produced from each zone.

the foregoing desirable result.

description proceeds.

the invention may be employed.

comprising my invention.

ducing zones generallyindicated at 2 and 3.

pendent columns.

space between the tubing 4 and the casing I, is

an annular packer 6 of conventional design and also within the inner column, within the tubing is another packer 1, likewise of conventional design. Since packers of this character are available and well known to those familiar with the art, they have been illustrated diagrammatically.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing the casing is perforated in each of the producing zones, and the tubing 5 is per- When p in at producing 0 6 s suc in forated in an area just above the lower produc that it is insufficient to raise the column of oil in in zone, although it should be noted that the the well to the surface of the ground, such a well perforations i th tubing 5 may h at, any point a be caused o fiontinlie Production Without within or above the producing zone 3 depending D p if a 0 some other gas is introduced into u on the distance of such zone below the surface the oil column in the well sufficiently below the 15 im t natural pyessur i Such Zone, surface of the ground so as to decrease the weight Suitable gas, Such as air, carbon dioxide, of this oil column sufficiently so that it will be natural gas, and t like, may be introduced forced upwar ly blkg pressure available in the der pressure by conventional means not shown 118 this expedient has been into the tubin 5. Such as under ressure will utilized n Wells producing from a single tone, it be bled throug h the perfoi ations in timing 5 into has never been accomplished successfully in wells the producing column between tubings 4 and 5 as lntercept}ng a Pluramy zolies and fispeclally illustrated, and such gas reducing the weight of where it 1s necessary to maintain separate the 011 the on in Such column will make possible the It cco di 1 rm i 1 013,601; f m flowing of the column under the pressure availa p c Pa 1 able in the producing zone a with which it is in vention to provide a method capable of achieving communication 7 When a situation is encountered in the field other oblects of my Invention W111 appear as the where only the lower of two producing zones lacks To the accomplishment of the foregoing and suflicient pressure to raise the 011 to the surface related ends said invention then comprises the of the ground then an expedlent Such as features hereinafter fully described and particui gg i figg i ggg ggg ga be enployed fi larly pointed out in the claims, the following de- Zone Th th 2 uce sue scription and the annexed drawings setting forth an 2: 2p m u 2 may be at in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the f w e Zone invention, these being indicative, however, of but g g g gg fi f ggiz g g g fi 32 :5

a few of the various wa s in which the rinci le of y p p able in the producing zone and the depth of such In said annexed drawing, the single figure is a Zone: diagrammatic, broken, vertical section through a 40 From the foregomg (iescnptmni 1t W111 be portion of a well intercepting two producing zones s?rved that have piovlded mtethod whereby and illustrating one embodiment of the method Single Well mterceptmg plurahty of Producmg zones may be operated so as to provide a gas lift Referring now more specifically to the draw for the zone which lacks suflicient natural presing, there is here illustrated a single well provided t? self'pl'oducmg whlle at F same tlme with a casing generally indicated at I, which i maintaining separate the production from each tercepts two vertically Spaced superposed zone. Detailed illustration or description of the The apparatus necessary has not been given since all casing I has arranged preferably coaxially thereof the described pp u qui d for e pering two strings of tubing generally indicated at 4 formance of t e v al Steps is Old nd Well and 5, whereby there are provided within the case lmown in the art and familiar to those skilled portion of the well three substantially inde- 1n the Other modes of applying the principle of the Positioned in the outer column, 1. e., in the invention maybe emp be m de as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. Inproducingwells constituting a series of vertically spaced superposed producing zones, an apparatus for enhancing liquid flow from a lowermost producing zone comprising a casing, perforations in said casing adjacent each producing zone whereby said casing is in direct fluid com munication with each producing zone; a first string of tubing disposed in said casing adapted to receive gas at the upper extremity thereof and containing perforations in the lower extremity for the passage of gas therefrom, said perforations being at a position above said lowermost producing zone; a packer located in said first tubing at a position below said perforations; at least one other string of tubing disposed in said casing in an outer concentric position with respect to saidfirst tubing to form a series of concentric annular spaces between said first tubing and the casing; a packer located within each of said annular spaces between said casing and said other tubing intermediate said producing zones; perforations in' said other tubing whereby said other tubing is indirect fluid communication with at least one lower producing zone for the passage of fluids from said lower producing zone through an ermost producing zone comprising a casing, perforations in said Casing adjacent each producing zone whereby said casing is in direct fluid communication with each of said producing zones; a first string oftubing disposed in said-casing the upper extremity of said tubing adapted to receive gas from an external source, the lower extremity thereof containin perforations for the passage of gas therefrom, said perforations being at a position which is above the lowermost producing zone; a packer disposed in said first tubing at a position below said perforations; a second string of tubing disposed in said casing in an outer concentric position with respect to said first tubing forming an inner annular space with said first tubing and an outer annular space with said casing; a packer in said outer annular space intermediate said two producing zones; perforations in said second tubing adjacent said lowermost producin zone whereby said second tubing is in direct fluid communication with said lowermost producing zone for the passage of fluids therefrom upward through said inner annular space.

EDWIN O. BENNETT.

REFERENCES CITED 'The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 45,153 Gunning Nov. 22, 1864 1,723,682 Deming Aug. 6, 1929 2,298,834 Moore Oct. 13, 1942 

